9th May 2024
‘I’ll be back’
“Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky?
This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven,
will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”
Acts 1:11 (NIV)
‘I’ll be back’ is, of course, the iconic catchphrase used by movie legend Arnold Schwarzenegger for much of his acting career. It was placed at No.37 on the American Film Institute’s list: ‘100 Years, 100 Movie Quotes’ and is enshrined in concrete on the Hall of Fame in Hollywood, Los Angeles.
It is unlikely, though not impossible, that Jesus Christ uttered these precise words, and if he did, it is not recorded in the Bible. The closest we get is in John 14:3, where he says, “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” And of course, just after Jesus ascended to be with his Father, two angels told the Apostles that he would “…come back in the same way you have seen him go…” (Acts 1:11)
The Bible makes it abundantly clear that Jesus will return to Earth, just as he said. Scholars have counted no less than 1,845 biblical references to the second coming of Christ and 23 of the 27 books of the New Testament explicitly refer to this event.
So, as much of the Christian world celebrates Jesus’s return to heaven this weekend on Ascension Sunday, let us also reflect on the other side of that coin – his imminent and glorious return to Earth, to usher in his kingdom. He is coming back! So what should we be doing in the meantime? Well, to paraphrase those angels, ‘don’t stand around staring into space!’ We have work to do, important work, that can be summed up in 3 words that begin with ‘w’:
- keep watching (Matthew 24:42),
- keep worshipping (Hebrews 10:25)
- keep witnessing (Matthew 28:19-20).
Arnold Schwarzenegger has had more than a few comebacks in his time, but when Jesus Christ returns just as those angels foretold, it will be the greatest comeback the world has ever seen. Let’s be ready to welcome him when he arrives (Matthew 24:44).
Prayer
Our heavenly Father, thank you for the sure and certain promise of Jesus’s return as King of kings and Lord of Lords, and for the power of the Holy Spirit to equip us to do your business until he comes. In Jesus’s name, Amen.
Study by Peter Mill
About the writer:
Peter Mill is a minister in Grace Communion International and Co-Regional Pastor for Scotland, Ireland, and Northern England.
Local congregation:
Grace Communion International Central Glasgow
Garnethill Room
Conference Suite
St Andrews West
260 Bath Street
Glasgow
G2 4JP
Meeting time:
Sunday 11:15 am
Local congregational contact:
Peter Mill
Email: edinburgh@gracecom.church
Word of Life contact:
wordoflife@gracecom.church